We get to see her mingle with bugs, play in the dirt, fiddle with the sand, break sticks, throw rocks and occasionally chase after squirrels. We have front row tickets to the greatest show on Earth: a little one discovering what the Earth is all about. She’s experiencing the elements first hand and it’s wonderful. 

This is why we were all excited about our mystery package from Dove. Their new Elements series brings nature into their already awesome products, and the new Elements Treehouse in Tennessee designed by the one and only Pete Nelson. 

Our package came during a rainy week, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the outdoors. In fact…it helped! We were sent an awesome “design it yourself” fort to construct outside, making a little home away from home where the little one and I could enjoy the elements while still having a “base” to operate out of. 

We were in the kitchen prepping, and thats when it happend: she had a different idea than just a fort. 

“Daddy” she said, “It’s raining a lot!”

“I know baby cakes, so what should we do?”

“We need an umbrella!”

An before you know it, our creation was complete! 

An umbrella when we go for a hike, a convenient way for any parent to keep the kid covered while they are exploring 4ft below you, and a stand-up fort when you bring three extra attachable legs with you in the handy carrying case that already comes with the poles! My kid = genius. 

Not only did we get this gem for her, but Daddy also got a few things from the new Elements Series including: Minerals and Sage Body + Face Bar, Minerals and Sage Antiperspirant, and the Charcoal + Clay Body and Face wash (one of my favorites). The combination of their already awesome formulas with natural earthy scents is a fantastic thing. 

The best part though? A little something special we get to share with YOU! A chance to win a trip to the amazing Elements Treehouse. Just follow THIS LINK and get excited  

Cheers,

Ben

@PBDadcast 

As I got older and started thinking more logically. I realized that hanging out with these monsters might be a little dangerous. Frankenstein can go crazy at any minute and the Wolfman, might just eat something or someone that he should not and that would make the entire friendship awkward. While it seems that my thinking about these monsters changed, someone else was thinking the same thing, but this time it was the children of these celebrated monsters. Man, I should have copyrighted my idea when I was younger.

Unless you have been living in a hole in the mountains, I am sure that you have heard of Monster High by now. Monster High is a series of toys, movies and books that chronicle the lives of the children of famous horror, science fiction and Hollywood monsters. These characters get into many amusing adventures that always have a positive meaning in them. If you are as ecstatic about this show as my daughter is, then you will be excited to know that a new movie, Monster High: Electrified, comes out on Blu-ray on March 28.

Here is the official word about Monster High: Electrified.

When Clawdeen dreams of opening a salon made for monsters and normies, Frankie has the perfect place – an abandoned power station outside town. But the idea sparks negative voltage when Moanica plots to ruin the whole thing, and replace the celebration with something a little more…shocking! Luckily the ghouls have a secret weapon on their side…Twyla, the daughter of the Boogey Man, and the perfect ghoul to unearth any mystery. Along with her ghoulfriends, they must thwart Moanica’s plan, charge up their outfits, save the normie town from darkness…and open the most voltageous salon ever! So catch every twist, turn, zap and blast…because the Monster High ghouls are about to get ELECTRIC!
 

Would you like to win a copy of Monster High: Electrified? If your answer is yes, then get ready to do some work as we have teamed up with a few dadbloggers: Cutemonster, Daddy’s Grounded, Fandads, and ThirstyDad, to giveaway 10 copies of the newest Monster High movie to our readers. All you have to do is follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter and take a moment and visit the other pages and share some love with them.

Good luck to all and thanks for reading.

I’d like to say I’m the perfect Dad now, and maybe on some levels I am. But being a Stay At Home Parent provides a few more challenges in how you go about your life and how you teach your child. Staying at home means you are both the teacher and the parent, doing lessons that they would normally get in day care along side other kids. This can be both challenging and rewarding.

But in that role, and over time, you begin to learn things for yourself. This includes the identity of your child. You get to better know their mannerisms, the language they speak (as they are still in the process of learning ours) and more. I’ve learned so much it would be an exhaustive conversation to detail all of it. But here’s 3 to start:

Lesson One: It’s Ok.

Everything is ok. Drinks will be spilled, mistakes will be made, tantrums will happen and your temper will flair. But it’s all ok. These things will happen from time to time no matter what so when it does, take a deep breath and be like Elsa: let it go. If you carry all your little frustrations with you it will mount and bring your stress levels to new heights!
Lesson Two: Dance 

When there is music, get up and dance, even if it’s only for a minute. Even if it’s only just standing there swaying your hips a little and waving your arms about. Two reasons — One: It keeps you moving throughout the day and in good spirits and —Two: The little ones love it like ice cream.
Lesson Three: Leave Tech Behind

Life isn’t lived on a phone or a tablet or a tv. They are handy at times and can be a wealth of information and entertainment. But put them away for some amount of time during the day. Get busy with some Play Doh or LEGO or what ever, get dirty and creative!
Being a Dad changes you. Not only in learning lessons, but evolving in ways almost indescribable as a person. When a baby is born, a dad is born. This Father’s Day, Pampers celebrates that incredible feeling little ones bring to the hearts of dads through unconditional love. For more than 50 years, moms and dads have trusted Pampers to care for their babies’ happy, healthy development. Pampers offers a complete range of diapers, wipes and training pants designed to provide protection and comfort for every stage.

They have inspired me to write this especially because of their new Fathers Day video. Pampers has released a new #ThanksBaby video that captures the amazing relationship that is created between a dad and his baby when a baby is born and the beautiful journey of fatherhood begins.

You can watch the video here!

I encourage all Dads to reflect from time to time on how they have changed since baby was born. And to say “thank you” for helping to make us what we are. Without my little one, I don’t know who I’d be. But I probably wouldn’t be as much fun

Disclosure: I have partnered with Life of Dad and Pampers for this promotion.